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Advancement is important in this current economic climate. Join key thought leaders to exchange ideas and address the unique opportunities that arise from the convergence of genomic sciences in a unique interactive forum at Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Inaugural Symposium on The Business of Genomics. Co-located with the RNA Interference Summit and the Genomic Tools and Technologies Summit, this day and a half event features dynamic presentations, elevator pitches, and interactive discussions relevant to both the scientific and business community. The event consists of three sessions:
Monday, June 8
2:00 Conference Registration
A panel of technology transfer, business development and licensing experts representing academia, non-profit organizations and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies elaborate on what works and what doesn’t when striking the right partnerships. This is followed by a series of presentations given by entrepreneurs and emerging companies looking to license their technology or find a suitable partner to help in its development.
2:30 Technology Transfer Panel of Experts
Moderator: Douglas Crawford, Ph.D., Associate Director, QB3 - California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences
QB3 – Satisfying California’s Addiction to Innovation
Douglas Crawford, Ph.D., Associate Director, QB3 - California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences - Biography
Commercializing Technology from Universities - A UC Berkeley Perspective
Irvin J. Mettler, Ph.D., Associate Director, IPIRA/Office of Technology Licensing, University of California, Berkeley - Biography
Giving Emerging Companies that Big Company Advantage
Melinda Richter, M.B.A., Executive Director, San Jose Biocenter - Biography
Innovation through Collaboration: Perspectives from Genentech
Anna Williamson, Ph..D., Senior Manager, Business Development, Genentech, Inc. - Biography
3:50 Networking Refreshment Break
Emerging companies present their tools and technologies, and share what they can provide to a partner, as well as the type of funding or partnerships they are seeking.
4:15 Dicerna Pharmaceuticals Inc.
David W. Miller, Ph.D., Senior Director, Business Development
Dicer Substrate Technology
Dicerna Pharmaceuticals is an RNAi-focused biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic agents in multiple disease areas based on its proprietary Dicer Substrate Technology platform. Dicerna’s RNAi-based therapies, and related drug delivery systems, use the engagement of the enzyme Dicer, an earlier step in the RNAi gene silencing process and a natural initiation point for the RNAi cascade. This distinct biological pathway demonstrates greater potency and a longer duration of action, differentiating it from other RNAi approaches. Targeted gene knockdown is highly specific with IC50s in the low picomolar range routinely obtained. Dicerna is currently working in the areas of oncology and metabolic disease. Dicerna’s Dicer Substrate Technology is based on intellectual property that is both broadly enabling and distinct from other IP in the field. Dicerna has worldwide rights to the Dicer Substrate Technology.
4:30 RXi Pharmaceuticals
Ramani Varanasi, M.S., MBA, Vice President, Business Development
Creating Value for RNAi Therapeutics through Strategic Deal Making
RXi Pharmaceuticals is a discovery stage RNAi company focused on the research and development of RNAi based therapeutics. The field of RNAi lends itself to a broad range of technology and therapeutic platforms, which form the basis for and provide an excellent opportunity for the formation of broad strategic and value creating alliances. RXi’s business strategy is focused on short and long term value creation through a combination of internal R&D efforts to develop a proprietary pipeline of RNAi therapeutic, as well as an external approach of partnering its therapeutic platform with strategic partners.
4:45 The Ohio State University
Robert Lee, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy
Targeted Nanoparticles for Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Delivery
Oligonucleotide therapeutics, including antisense oligos, CpG oligos, and siRNA have shown substantial promise for therapeutic application. However, clinical efficacy of this class of agents, such as antisense oligos, has been moderate, possibly due to inefficient delivery. Targeted nanoparticles present a compelling approach to improving the delivery of oligonucleotides that could dramatically improve their clinical potential. Lipid-based nanoparticles targeted folate, transferrin, and several antibodies have been synthesized and shown to efficiently and selectively delivery oligo drug into cancer and leukemia cells. In addition, these nanoparticles showed enhanced antitumor activity in murine tumor models. These findings suggest that targeted nanoparticles warrant further investigation for potential clinical application.
5:00 Rational Biotechnology Inc.
Yong Huang, Ph.D., President and CEO
High Throughput siRNA Screening in Primary Cells
RNA Interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful tool for functional genomics and target validation. Human primary cells derived from healthy donors and patients represent the closest in vitro models to human biology. High-throughput siRNA screening in human primary cells would help elucidate functional roles of thousands of genes in a more (patho) physiology-relevant cellular context, therefore, could substantially accelerate the identification and validation of new targets for therapeutic intervention.
5:15 Welcoming Reception in the Exhibit Hall
For more details, please contact:
Mary Ann Brown
Executive Director, Conferences
Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Email: mabrown@healthtech.com
Phone: 781-972-5497
Tanuja Koppal, Ph.D.
Conference Director,
Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Email: tkoppal@healthtech.com
Phone: 973-525-4667
For partnering and sponsorship information, please contact:
Jon Stroup
Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Email: jstroup@healthtech.com
Phone: 781-972-5483